the children of Israel to serve with rigor.”  This rigor is affirmed of the amount of labor extorted and the mode of the exaction.  The expression “serve with rigor,” is never applied to the service of servants under the Mosaic system.  The phrase, “thou shall not RULE over him with rigor,” does not prohibit unreasonable exactions of labor, nor inflictions of cruelty.  Such were provided against otherwise.  But it forbids confounding the distinctions between a Jew and a Stranger, by assigning the former to the same grade of service, for the same term of time and under the same political disabilities as the latter.

[Footnote C:  The Babylonish captivity seems to have greatly modified Jewish usage in this respect.  Before that event, their cities were comparatively small, and few were engaged in mechanical or mercantile employments.  Afterward their cities enlarged apace and trades multiplied.]

[Footnote D:  Jarchi’s comment on “Thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bond-servant” is, “The Hebrew servant is not to be required to do any thing which is accounted degrading—­such as all offices of personal attendance, as loosing his master’s shoe-latchet, bringing him water to wash his hands and feet, waiting on him at table, dressing him, carrying things to and from the bath.  The Hebrew servant is to work with his master as a son or brother, in the business of his farm, or other labor, until his legal release.”]

[Footnote E:  The disabilities of the Strangers, which were distinctions, based on a different national descent, and important to the preservation of nation characteristics, and a national worship, did not at all affect their social estimation.  They were regarded according to their character and worth as persons, irrespective of their foreign origin, employments and political condition.]

We are now prepared to review at a glance, the condition of the different classes of servants, with the modifications peculiar to each.

In the possession of all fundamental rights, all classes of servants were on an absolute equality, all were equally protected by law in their persons, character, property and social relations; all were voluntary, all were compensated for their labor, and released from it nearly one half of the days in each year; all were furnished with stated instruction; none in either class were in any sense articles of property, all were regarded as men, with the rights, interests, hopes and destinies of men.  In all these respects, all classes of servants among the Israelites, formed but ONE CLASS.  The different classes, and the differences in each class, were, 1. Hired Servants.  This class consisted both of Israelites and Strangers.  Their employments were different.  The Israelite was an agricultural servant.  The Stranger was a domestic and personal servant, and in some instances mechanical;